It is frequently desirable to provide a beveled edge on a sheet of glass for many purposes and various machines have been proposed in the past for forming such a beveled edge on a glass sheet with the use of a grinding wheel or the like. However, such present day machines are designed for relatively large sheets of glass usually with straight edges wherein the quality of the bevel need meet only minimum standards with respect to such features such as the angle of bevel, surface quality, uniformity of bevel and the like. Furthermore, the grinding wheels on such present day machines usually are characterized by a relatively short useful life and are required to be frequently replaced. In addition, finishing operations on the beveled edges formed by such present day machines require further processing such as polishing or the like adding to the capital expenditures and seriously reducing the production rate.
In many areas, relatively small sheets of glass require a bevel such as small mirrors, leaded glass and what is referred to as "art" glass wherein the bevel must meet high quality standards both from the standpoint of surface finish and uniformity as well as providing a bevel on such small glass sheets wherein the edge to be beveled has a curved or undulating configuration.
The patents which are representative of the prior art to which the subject invention pertains and which are clearly distinguishable both structurally and functionally from applicant's beveling apparatus are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,461, Banko; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,187,467, Cortesi.
The Cortesi patent teaches the use of a machine for beveling the edges of glass plates in which a support frame carries the drive motor and the entire structure is arranged to be pivoted to change the angle of bevel. The Banko patent teaches the use of a grinder which is angulated at 13 (FIG. 1) and the work table is moved upwardly and laterally for engagement with the grinder. Neither of these prior art patents teach the basic concept of applicant's invention.